Tamperproof ear tag



March 7. 1939. t D. w.v ASHTON y 2,149,411

TAMPERPROOF EAR TAGS Filed Dec. 13, 193:7

Patented Mar. 7, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT ori-"ICE 2,149,411 TAMPERPRO F EAR) TAG assignor to J. ada

Ontario, Canada,

Application December 13, 1937, Serial NU. 179,598

3 Claims.

This invention relates to ear tags for animals and more particularly to a tamper-proof tag.

Marking tags for animals are widely used in y order to identify specific animals, such as pedi- 'greed animals and animals that have been examined and found to be disease-free. Tamperproof tags are highly desirable for the reason that there have been many cases of false marking by interchanging the identification tag from 'one animal to another, as for instance changing the tag from a dead animal to a live one to represent the latter as other than it is. Moreover, Where other than a tamper-proof tag is used, it would be possible to effect false registration in the case of pedigreed animals and to identify a. diseased animal as one which had been tested and found to be free of disease.

In' United States Patent No. 2,086,518 of July 13, i937, granted Yto me and others, there is described a suitable type of tag which was devised with a view to avoiding difficulties as above set out.

According to the present invention I provide a similar type of tag which embodies an additional safeguard against tampering and which would appear to obviate even attempts to tamper with the tag. In general, the invention consists in a tag formed from a strip of material adapted to be bent upon itself and formed with a tapered o locking tongue at one end and at the opposite end with a housing for receiving and locking the tongue, as described in the prior patent above referred to, and it also includes a construction wherein the housing is formed from the strip having an opening accessible from one side of the strip with an integral locking bar extending across the opening around which the locking tongue may extend when the tag has been clinched. Y D g In the preferred form of this prior patent the parts ofthe housing separated by a slot of a width corresponding to the lockingk bar, were pressed together to finally form a closed housing over the locking bar. ithere-is provided, in addition to this construction, a second housing which is formed from a part of the strip in advance of the main housing, that part of the strip carrying the second housing', which might be termed an auxiliary Ahousing, being bent so that the open side of the auxiliary 'housing overlies or substantially overlies the `accessible opening of the main housing, the auxiliary housing being left with an open slotto receive 4the tapered end of the strip and to permit it'to pass into the main housing and curl around the integral locking bar, the curled portion of the tongue and the locking bar being wholly enclosed by the main housing and the auxiliary housing, thus preventing instruments to be bent upon itself In Vthe present inventionr or the like being applied to the curled portion of the tag with a view to dislodging it.

The invention will be described in detail in the following specification taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:-

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a tag in strip form.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of a clinched tag showing the disposition of the main and auxiliary housings.

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary section of the clinched tag showing principally the construction of the housings and the manner in which the tongue is clinched around the locking bar and encased by the housings.

Figure 4 is a side elevation of a tag according to the present invention, in strip form.

Figure 5 is a, similar view to Figure 4 but showing the end of the tag carrying the auxiliary housing in the process of being bent, the normal operative position of the auxiliary housing being shown in dotted lines.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary bottom plan view of one end of the tag prior to bending, showing the relation of the main and auxiliary housing and the openings thereto.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary bottom plan View of part of a tag in strip form, showing an alternative shape of housing.

Referring to the drawing, I0 indicates a tag made iup of strip material, preferably metal, formed with a tapered locking tongue II at one end and an integral depressed portion or main housing I2 at the opposite end designed to receive the tongue when the tag is clinched. In the present construction the main housing I2 is spaced somewhat from the end of the tag in which it is formed and adjacent to the extremity of this end of the tag an auxiliary housing I3 is formed. 'I'he tag is normally designed as at I4 and the tongue is normally designed to be bent substantially at right'angles to the strip, as indicated at I5, toproject towards the housing I2.

'Ihe housing I2 is formed in the same manner as disclosed in the prior United States patent above referred to, having continuously curved or sloped walls I6 for the purpose of deforming the tongue when the tag is clinched, it being understood of course that the term sloped is designed to dene an inclined or curved Wall. In the formation of the main housing I2, it is pressed from the strip to provide an accessible opening I'I while the pressing operation is done by means of a die in such a way that it will press and cut theV strip to form the housing in two sections I8`and I9 so 'as to leave anintegral locking bar 20 extending across the opening II. At the same time, or afterwards if desired, the two rthat no practical tool aszis the, case if attempts were made to` sections I8 and I9 of the housing are brought together to form the closed main housing I2, as illustrated, completely encasing the locking bar 20 from one side of the strip.

The auxiliary housing I3 is pressed from the strip in a substantially similar manner and is cut so as to provide a slot 2I of a suitable width and preferably disposed a little to one side loi the middle of the housing so that when the strip is bent at a point between the two housings, as indicated at 22, to position the auxiliary housing I3 directly over the main housing I2, the slot ZI willV permit the tongue II'. of the tag to enter the auxiliary housing I3 and to engage the inner wall of the main housing I2 to one side of the locking bar 20. Thus, in the clinching operation, the tongue-llfafterz passing through the slot ZI` into `engagement `withithe inner wall of thefhousingl I2, will curl around the integral ,f locking bar 20. Y

It will be noted that when the ,tagis applied the opening 23 in the stripbelow the auxiliary housing I3 directly overlies or substantially overlies the opening I1 to the main housing I2 and, apart from-a small opening which may occur between part of the tag and the deiining edges of the slot 2| through which it would be impossible to insert any practical instrument, the tongue is completely encased once clinched.

In Figure '7 a portion'of a similar type of tag is shown with the exceptionfthat the strip Illa, is formed with-a main housing I2a rectangular in shape, the auxiliary housing i3d being also of rectangular shape,-the main housing being provided-with an vopening I'Iaand across bar 20a integral with thestrip and extending across the opening while the Vauxiliary housing is provided with a slot 2 la through which the locking tongue passes into the main housing; It will be appreciated, therefore, that the housings for the tag are not confined to one shape.

The tag so formed methods thatmight be employed to tamper with it. The tongueis projected into the'. main hous\ ing on that side of the integral locking bar nearest to the end of the. -tag in `which the housing is formed. Thus, any attempts to bend that end of the tag so as'to spread apartfthe closed main v housing areresistedby'contact between Va part of theY auxiliary housing and that part of theV tag 'ad-jacentV to the curled tongue,'whi1e the forward portion of the main housing will also contact with the curled tongue ;to likewise resist such an eiort. Any Vattempt to: insert a tool under the'free" end ofthe tagadjacent the auxiliary housingv and to bend the latterV away; would be resisted by con=- tact between the auxiliary housingA and that part of the tag .adjacent to the curled, tongue and, :if f

it is possible to bend up this part'of theztag, `the extent to which it might ber bentis so limited couldr beinsertedy into vthe housing, insertia tool inthe slot of the auxiliary'housing.

Various modiiicationsmay bemade in` thisyinvention withoutcdeparting from the spirit there of Vor the i scopeiof the exactformszshown are togbe taken as, illustrative only andnot'in a limiting sense, and it is desired thatonly suchxlimitations shall be placed thereon asare .disclosed inthe prior art or are set forth in .the accompanying claims.

WhatxI claim as my invention ispl. A tamper-,proof marking tag comp-rising a will Iresist any practical claims, and therefore thev strip of material adapted to be bent upon itself, formed with a tapered locking tongue at one end and with a main housing and an auxiliary housing at the opposite end and adjacent to each other, said main housing having an opening accessible from one side of the strip through which the tongue may be projected, said tongue being normally bent substantially at right angles to the strip and positioned above and projecting towards said main housing, the latter having a sloped wall to deform said tongue when engaged thereby, said strip having a locking bar extending across the openingv to the said. main housing around which said tongue may curl when deformed, said strip being bent intermediate the main and auxiliary housings so that the latterVv overlies the former, said auxiliary housing having a slot therein permitting the locking tongue to pass therethrough into the main housing, vthe saidY main and auxiliary housings together Ywholly encasing so as substantially to seal thelocking bar and curled portion ofthe tongue whenv the tag is'clinched.

2. A tamper-proofrmarking tag comprising a strip Otmaterial adapted to be bent upon itself, formed with a tapered locking tongue at one end, and with a main housing and an auxiliary housing lat thel opposite end and adjacent to each other,,said main housing'having an opening accessible from one side of the strip through which the tonguel may be projected, said tongue being normally bent substantially at right angles to the strip and positioned above and projecting towards said main housing, the latter having a slopedwall to deform said tongue when engaged thereby, said strip having an integral'locking bar extending across the opening to the said main housing around which said tongue may curl when deformedsa-id strip being bent intermediate the main and auxiliary housings so that the latter overlies the former, said auxiliary housing having a vslot therein permitting the locking tongue to pass therethrough into the main housing,` the said main and auxiliary housings together wholly encasing so vas substantially to seal the locking bar and curled `portion of the tongue when the tagy is clinched.

3. A tamper-proof marking tag comprising a strip of material adapted to be bent upon itself, formed with a tapered locking tongue at one end, and with a main housing and an auxiliary housing at-'the opposite end and adjacent to each other, lsaid main housing -being formed in two parts brought into engagement with one another to form a continuous defining wall for the hous ing and having an Vopeningaccessible froml one side of thestrip, said tongue being normally bent substantially at right angles tothe strip and positioned above and projecting towards said main housing, the.v latter having. a sloped -wall to deformY said `tongue `when engaged thereby, said strip having an integral locking bar extending across the opening to the main housing around which said tongue may curl when deformed during a clinching operation, said strip being bent intermediate the main and auxiliary housings so that the latter overlies the former, said auxiliary housing `having a slot therein permitting the locking tongueto pas therethrough into the main housing, thesaid main and auxiliary housings together wholly encasingV so as substantially to seal the locking bar and curled portion of rthe tongue when the tag is clinched.

DOUGLAS W. ASHTON. 

